Means for coating thread



May 5, 1942.

G. c. DAVIS, JR 2,281,679

MEANS FOR COATING THREAD Filed July 25; 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 i2, ,J- 1 U 32- 37 53 5Q 49 36 Z'mventor: 5O GEORGE C. DAV/5J2,

so BB May 5, 1942. G. c. DAVIS, JR 2 ,281,679

'MEANS FOR COATING THREAD Filed July 25, 1941 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ISnnentor GEORGE C DAV/s, J2

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Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to means for treating yarn or thread and more especially to the art of applying a treating solution such as wax, paraffin, size and the like thereto while in a softened state. It is necessary to apply many types of material to threads while in a liquid or softened state due'to the inherent qualities of the material, and also to obtain a more uniform distribution. For example, wax or parafiin has a low melting point slightly above normal temperatures. When it is desired to apply this material to thread, it is desirable to subject it to heat in order to reduce it to a liquid or softened state, so that a more uniform application to the thread can be obtained.

The conventional means of application of some of the above-named treating solutions while in a liquid state, such as sizing, however, has many disadvantages. The liquified material penetrates the thread and tends to set the fibers in whatever positions they happen to occupy. Many treating materials quickly harden or congeal on the thread into a cake-like structure, thus leaving an unpolished or uneven yarn. Experience has proven that a uniform distribution of liquified treating material on the thread has been very difiicult to obtain by merely immersing the thread or passing the. same in contact with an application roll. The projecting fibers at one point on the strand will often collect more treating solu tion from the roll than at the other points, resulting in a lack of uniformity as to the size of the thread.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for applying treating solution to thread comprising a rotating brush over which the thread is passed, in combination with means such as a partially immersed roll, for applying the solution to the brush, whereby the solution is transferred from the brush to the thread. Means are also provided for automatically removing the thread out of contact with the brush when the thread is caused to cease travelling, thereby preventing an excess amount of material from hardening at the contacting points.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a winding machine showing my improved attachment for treating thread associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric schematic view illustrating a conventional driving means a for the winder spindle;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2, illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Winding head structure Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I0 denotes a conventional winder frame having mounted thereon a plurality of winder heads ll. Each of the winder heads has a spindle shaft [2 upon which a package of thread is adapted to be wound. This shaft has a suitable pulley l6 fixedly secured on one end thereof (Figure 3) and this pulley is adapted to be driven by frictional contact with a suitable belt 11, said beltnormally having insuflicient frictional contact with the periphery of wheel IE to rotate the same when the winding mechanism isv not in operation.

The belt I! is adaptedto be pressed into engagement with the periphery of. wheel 16 during a winding operation by means of a suitable tightener pulley [8, which pulley is rotatably mounted on the free end of lever l9 pivoted as at 20. In order to hold the pulley it out of contact with the belt I1 and thusprevent sufficient friction between the belt I1 and the spindle pulley IE to drive the spindle, a suitable lever 2| is provided. The upper end of the lever 2| supports the free end of lever l9 and the lower end of the lever 2| is fixedly secured upon a shaft22, said shaft having fixedly secured on the other end thereof a suitable operating handle 23. When the lever 23 is rotated in a clockwise manner .(Figures 1 and 3) pulley [8 will be permitted to fall upon the belt I! to press it against the periphery of pulley IB. This engagement with the pulley will cause the spindle shaft [2 to rotate and thereby causethread to be wound upon the package Id.

The package I4 is formed from suitable thread 21, said thread passing through an eyelet 28 and a tension mechanism 29 before it is wound upon the package. All of the above-described mechanism is conventional in winding machines, but it is deemed necessary to show and describe this much of the old structure in order to more clearly illustrate my improved method and means for treating thread.

A suitable elongated trough 30 is provided, said trough having a hollow receptacle 3! between its inner and outer walls, for the reception of a suitable heating agent such as steam or hot water. The heating agent is admitted into the receptacle through a suitable pipe 32 and this pipe has its lower end connected to a suitable heated tank 33. From the heater 33 another pipe 36 leads to the outlet side of a pump 36, said pump having a second pipe 31 leading from its intake side. The other end of the pip 3'! is connected to the opposite end of the trough 3| from the end of which pipe 32 is connected. It is therefore seen that a circulating system for the heated agent is provided by members designated by reference characters 32 to 37 inclusive. heating agent will be forced through the pipe 32 into th receptacle 3| and then expelled from this receptacle through pipe. 31'. In order to drain the heating agent from the receptacle 3|, a suitable outlet pipe 39 is provided.

Treating solution container and roller Rotatably mounted in the trough is an elongated roller 40,,said roller being preferably made of, metal and having a shaft 4!, extending therethrough which has one end thereof rotatably mounted in a bearing 42 and its. other end rotatably mounted in a similar bearing 43. The roller ll! is fixed on shaft 4!. The bearings 42 and 43 are supported by suitable upstanding brackets M and 45 respectively. The shaft 4! also has mounted thereon a pulley 41 which, in

turn, has mounted thereon a belt 43, said belt being also mounted upon a second pulley 49 on a shaft 50, said shaft 5'0 extending from a gear reduction housing 5|. Another shaft 52 extends from gear reduction housing 5|. and this shaft is driven by a suitable source of power such as a motor 53. It is through the members 41 to 53 inclusive that the roller 48 is rotated.

By observing Figure. 2 it will be seen that the roller 40 is adapted to be partially immersed in a bath of liquid material 55'. This liquid material serves as a treating agent for the thread and may be of any suitable material such as wax, paraffin, sizing solution; and the like, depending upon the type of treatment desired to give the yarn.

Applicator brush The shaft. 56 also has another pulley 60- fixed thereon upon which. a belt 6! is, mounted. Thebelt 6| is also mounted upon a, pulley 62 on shaft 63, said shaft being rotatably mounted in upright brackets 64 and 65. Shaft 63 has fixedly secured thereon at spaced intervals suitable circular brushes Fit. The periphery of each of the brushes 65 is adapted to contact the periphery of the roller 49 at a, point Where the same is not immersed in the solution 55. As the Shaft 63 is rotated along with the roller 40, the peripheries of the circular brushes 66 will gather the liquified material from the periphery of the roller 40.

For each brush 66, a suitable supply package of yarn or thread 68 is provided, said packages each being mounted on a suitable spindle 10, extending, upwardly from the floor "H. After the strand 2? is drawn from the package 68 it passes through a suitable eyelet 12 on a horizontally disposed bar 73-. This bar is U-shaped and has its endsattachedto bearings 42 and 43'. From the eyelet 72- the strand 2?: passes through an elongated eyelet M in the free end of a wire 15, said wire 15 extendingfrom a plate member 16 which in turn is pivoted as at T! to downwardly extending bolt 18. The upper end of the bolt 78 is supported by the upper portion of the framework It. The position of the-eyelet M (Figures 1 and 2) is such that the strand-21 will be held in The contact with the outer walls of the bristles of brush 66. Therefore, as the brush rotates the bristles of the brush will apply the solution 55 to the strand. After leaving the brush 68 the strand 2'! passes through a second eyelet 19 on transverse bar as. This traverse bar has its ends mounted for reciprocation in brackets 32 and 83 on the framework I 0. The traverse bar 81 has a downwardly extending arm 85 integral therewith and the lower end of this arm is adapted to fit in a suitable groove 86 of hub member 81. The shape of the groove is such that as the shaft 4| rotates, oscillation will be imparted to the arm 85 and traverse bar 8!] to thereby causethe strands 2! to move back and forth longitudinally of the shaft 63 across the peripheries of brushes 66. In this manner all portions of the brush peripheries will be used for applying the treating material 55 to the strand, as the strand will be rolled over the brush as it is moved from one side of the brush to the other side thereof. A suitable tension spring 89 is provided between members 65 and 8.5 in order to stabilize the lower end of the arm 85 and to hold it securely against one side. of groove 86 at all times. Also an extension 99 having an elongated slot 91 therein, is provided for holding the arm 85 and the traverse. bar 8!]. in its; proper path during reciprocatory movement, said extension being an integral part. of bracket 83.

When material such as wax or parafiin is used, it is necessary to reduce the: same to a liquified state, so that a very small layer will adhere to the roller 4.3 as it rotates therein. Immediately after the liquified material'has been transferred I from the roller 40 to. the bristles of brush 65 it assumesa semi-hardened state. Since the material transferred from the roller at to the brush 65;, is; in a mushy state, it may be applied easily and uniformly tothe periphery of the strand 21 as it passes, over the brush. The rotative movement of the brush will not only apply the wax material to all portions of the strand periphery but at the same time tend to parallelize all of the projecting fibers, because the brush is rotating constantly in. one direction. In addition to making a. uniform application of the material and parallelizing the fibers, a very fine polish is imparted to. the yarnbecause the material is gradually approaching a congealed or solid state. after leaving trough 39.

Strand control mechanism I It is very essential. that the strand ll be Withdrawn from contact with the brush immediately upon the stoppage of the winding machine. In order to, stop the winding'machine, the lever 23. (Figures 1 and 3;) is turned in a counterclockwise manner so that the tightener pulley it will be raised out of contact withthe belt ll. At this time, it is necessary that the strand 2': be with-- drawn from contact with the brush as stated above, to prevent. an excess amount of treating material adhering and solidifying upon the periphery of the strand and thus causing an enlarged portion on the strand. This withdrawal of the strand is effected by means of a suitable arm 9t, extending laterally fromthe lower portion of handle 23. The free end of arm 9% has a downwardly extending link 9? pivoted thereto, and the lower end of the link is pivoted as at $8 to the plate member It. When the handle 2-3 (Figure l)- is rotated from bold line; position to dotted line position. the a'rm 9t and link 9? will be raised thus raising the free endof wire 15 and its associated eyelet 14 from bold line position to dotted line position in Figure 2 to thereby hold the strand out of contact with the brush 66. At the same time the tightener pulley I8 will be raised to stop the rotation of package l4.

Figure 4 shows a slightly modified form of the invention in which like reference characters will apply to like parts and a description will be made only of the parts which differ. The specific modification shown is particularly adapted for use when applying size material to strands of yarn. In this form, a trough I00 is provided having a compartment lfii between its inner and outer walls. This trough has a roller I62 rotatably mounted therein upon which is mounted a second roller Hi3. It will be noted that the lower roller I02 is adapted to be partially immersed in a size solution H3 1. When the strand 2'! is drawn from the package 68 it passes upwardly over a roller 1E! and then downwardly beneath and around the lowermost roller 32 where it is subjected to the size solution. Tl e strand then passes upwardly around the right hand periphcry of roller I03 and then in a substantially hori zontal position between squeeze rollers IE0 and Ill, where any excess of size is squeezed from the strand. The strand then passes upwardly and into contact with a suitable drying agent such as a steam pipe H2 so that the strand will be partially dried. After being partially dried,

the strand is then passed through a suitable rotating brush H4 on shaft H5, aiter which it passes upwardly through eyelet F9 on traverse bar 80, then through tension device 29 and onto package [4.

By first immersing the strand, then squeezing the excess moisture out of the strand, then partially drying the same to reduce the moisture content of the size on the strand, and then brushing the periphery of the strand and the size while still moist, it is possible to obtain a parallelization of the projecting fibers on each strand and to also add a fine polish thereto.

In the drawings and specification, these has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the in vention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating thread with molten paraflin, comprising means for rotating a package of thread to wind a strand thereon, a rotary brush, means for applying molten paraifin to said brush, means for passing said strand in contact with said brush to thereby cause said material to be transferred to the thread and means automatically operable upon the stopping of said package rotating means for moving said thread out of contact with the brush.

2. Apparatus for treating thread with parafiin, comprising a container for holding the parafiin, means for heating said container, a rotating roller in said container and adapted to be partially immersed in said liquid paraffin, a retary brush having peripheral contact with a portion of the roller not immersed, means for passing' a thread in contact with said brush to thereby cause the parafiin to be transferred to the thread.

3. Apparatus for treating thread with parafiin, comprising a container for holding said paraifin, means for heating said container, a rotating roller in said container and adapted to be partially immersed in said liquid paraiiin, a rotary brush having peripheral contact with a portion of the roller not immersed, means for passing a thread in contact with said brush to thereby cause the parafiin to be transferred to the thread and means automatically operable upon the stopping of said thread passing means for moving the yarn out of contact with said brush.

4. Apparatus for applying a solid lubricant to thread which comprises means for winding thread onto a package, means for stopping rotation of the package, a trough for holding the lubricant, means for heating the trough to render the lubricant into a liquid state, a roller mounted for rotation in the trough and in contact with the liquid lubricant, means for rotating the roller, a rotary brush in contact with the roller, means for holding the thread in contact with the brush and means operable by stoppage of rotation of the thread receiving package for moving the holding means to move the thread out of contact with the brush.

5. Apparatus for applying a solid lubricant to thread which comprises means for winding thread onto a package, means for stopping rotation of the package, a trough for holding the lubricant, means for heating the trough to render the lubricant into a liquid state, a roller mounted for rotation in the trough and in contact with the liquid lubricant, means for rotating the roller, a rotary brush in contact with the roller, means for holding the thread in contact with the brush, means operable by stoppage of rotation of the thread receiving package for moving the holding means to move the thread out of contact with the brush, and means for moving the thread longitudinally of the brush to thereby roll the thread across the brush to insure that all portions of the thread are subjected to the lubricant.

GEORGE C. DAVIS, J R. 

